Foot exerciser



April 15; 1958 L. E. UHL 2,830,816

FOOT EXERCISER Filed July 12, 1957 INVENTOR. Lows E. UHL.

ATTO 2H EYS United States Patent FOOT EXERCISER Louis E. Uhl, Jackson Heights, N. Y. Application July 12, 1957, Serial No. 671,507

1 Claim. (Cl. 27257) The present invention relates to a foot exerciser.

An object of the present invention is to provide a foot exerciser which lends itself to use by individuals for exercising the ankle joints and muscles of a foot in order to aid the healing process following injury such as strains, sprains, or fractures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot exerciser which is neat and attractive in appearance, one which is readily portable, one economical to manufacture and assemble, and one which is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the foot exerciser according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, with the dotted line showing indicating a foot of an individual; and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

-Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the foot exerciser according to the present invention comprises a housing, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, including a bottom 12, side walls 14 and 16 rising from the bottom 12, and end wall 1 rising from the bottom 12 and extending between and connecting one of the adjacent ends of the side walls 14 and 16 together, and a top 20 extending inwardly from the upper end of the end wall 118 and over the upper ends of parts of the side walls 14 and 16 to a point adjacent to and spaced from the end wall 18. A plate 22 is arranged in an upright sloping direction between the side walls 14 and 16 so that the upper end of the plate 22 abuttingly engages the underface of the top 20 inwardly of the free end or terminating point of the top 20. The lower end of the plate 22 engages the bottom 12 at a point between the other ends of the side walls 14 and 16 and the terminating point of the top 20.

A T-shaped hinge 24 connects the plate 22 for swinging movement toward and away from the end Wall 18 from the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 to the dotted line position in which the upper end of the plate is disengaged from the underface of the top 20 and is spaced therefrom.

Spring means, consisting in a compression coil spring 26, is operatively connected to the plate 22 for biasing the plate 22 to the position away from the end wall 18. One end of the spring 26 is secured by suitable means to the underside of the plate 22 and the other end of the spring 26 is secured to an upwardly sloping support member 28 having one end secured to the bottom 12 and the other end secured to the end wall 18.

Means is provided for positioning the heel of a shoe worn by an individual between the side walls 14 and 16 inwardly of the ends of such side walls 14 and 16 remote from the end wall 18. Such means consists in a flat plate 30 having a pair of laterally extending spaced slots 32 therein and a centrally disposed cut-out portion 34 extending inwardly from one edge of the plate 30. The cut-out portion 34 forms a rest for the heel 36 (Fig. 2) of a shoe 38 worn by the foot of a user when the device is in use. A pair of stud screws 40, having wing nuts 42 on their upper end portions, extend through the slots 32 in the plate 30 and provide a means for adjustably positioning the plate 30 at any position of its sliding movement toward and away from the plate 22. A handle 44 is carried by the top 20 and completes the invention and lends means by which the housing 10 is readily transported from one location to another or from a place of use to a place of storage.

In use, the user places the housing 10 on a supporting surface, a floor or other surface, and inserts his foot through the enclosure formed by the portions of the side walls between the terminating point of the top and the ends of the side walls remote from the end wall 18. The compression strength of the spring 26 is preferably such that considerable effort must be employed to depress the plate 22 toward the end wall 18. Repeated forcing of the plate 22 downwardly by the foot of the individual affords to the individual efiective exercise for the sinews and muscles of the foot when desired. The foot of the individual is readily inserted into the enclosure and readily withdrawn therefrom at the beginning and end of a period of exercise, respectively.

While the hinge 24 is shown afiixed to the bottom 12 by wood screws 46, other means may be employed. The housing 10 may be fabricated of wood, metal, plastic, or any suitable material which is lightweight and lends to ready portability of the housing 10.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, other embodiments are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A foot exerciser comprising a housing including a bottom, a pair of spaced side walls rising from said bottom, an end wall extending between and connecting one of the adjacent ends of said side walls together, a top extending inwardly from the upper end of said end wall and over the upper ends of said side walls to a point adjacent to and spaced from said end wall, a plate arranged in an upwardly sloping direction positioned between the side walls so that the upper end abuttingly engages the underface of said top inwardly of the terminating point of the latter and the lower end engages the bottom at a point between the other ends of said side walls and the terminating point of said top, said plate being connected to said bottom for swinging movement toward and away from said end wall, spring means operatively connected to said plate for biasing said plate away from said end wall, and a heel positioning means positioned between said side walls inwardly of said other ends of said side walls and connected to said bottom for limited sliding movement toward and away from said plate, the portions of said side walls between the terminating point of said top and the other ends of said side walls together forming an enclosure for insertion therethrough and withdrawal therefrom of a foot of a user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 871,864 Feazell et al Nov. 26, 1907 1,587,749 Bierly June 8, 1926 2,720,396 Pfans Oct. 11, 1955 

